Complaints

What is a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with a The Women’s Clinic decision, service or action where you are seeking a review or resolution and/or response to your issue.

If you have ideas on how we can do things better but do not necessarily need us to respond or resolve anything, you can submit these through the feedback button on our website.

If you disagree with a decision, contact us to discuss either by phone or email. If we cannot resolve the issue and you still disagree with our decision you may consider contacting the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC).

How to make a complaint

We aim to resolve your complaint at your first point of contact however if this has not worked for you, you can contact our Complaints Team directly.

Complete our online complaints form
This is the best way to make a complaint as it gives us the information we need to properly address your issue. Please complete the form on this page.

Emails us
Send your complaint to:
feedback@thewomensclinic.co.nz

Write to us
Send your complaint to:
PO Box number 5615
Terrace End
Palmerston North 4441

If you need help making a complaint
You can either make a complaint yourself or ask someone to help you. This could be a friend, family member, support worker or carer. Keep in mind that we may need to contact you if the other person is not authorised to discuss your complaint and/or personal health situation. If you want someone to act on your behalf, we need your consent.

Other assistance available:

• For our consumers whose first or preferred language is not English. If you want to speak in your own language, you can ask for an interpreter when you call us. For more information go to Interpreting New Zealand | Interpreting Service
• NZ Relay is a telecommunications service for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or speech impaired. For more information go to New Zealand Relay Services
• Let us know in your complaint if you are vision impaired and we will ensure we respond to you in the appropriate manner.
• You may like to contact the Health and Disability Advocacy service who can guide and support you to raise concerns or make a complaint. For more information go to Nationwide Advocacy Service | Free support for New Zealanders about your health and disability care

What happens when you make a complaint

• We will acknowledge your complaint by providing you a complaint reference number within one business day of your complaint being received.
• If we do not have all the information we need to review your complaint, we may contact you.
• We aim to resolve your complaint within 20 business days. This might include gathering information from other areas of our business.
• If we need more time to resolve your complaint, we will explain why and will keep you informed of progress.
• We will send you a complaint outcome to your preferred channel, usually email, letter or by phone.

What you can expect from us

We will:

• be prompt, courteous and professional
• acknowledge your complaint and follow through on what we say we will do
• inform you of options available if you disagree with us
• value your feedback and use complaints as an opportunity to learn and improve our services
• work within the Health and Disability Act and other relevant laws, and our actions will be consistent with the spirit of the Treaty of Waitangi.

What we expect of you

For us to help you as effectively as possible, we ask that you act in an appropriate manner. We may be unable to progress your complaint if we deem your behaviour during the process to be unreasonable. We ask that you:

• be polite and cooperative with the person helping you
• provide all supporting information and documentation requested
• do not threaten, abuse, harass or intimidate our people, their families or colleagues
• provide all relevant information at the time your complaint is raised to enable us to fully understand and address your complaint in a timely manner
• allow us time to review and address your complaint without contacting us in an excessive way
• take the appropriate escalation channel advised in the complaint outcome (refer below for more information).

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint review

We may advise you to contact the Health and Disability Commissioner.

• The purpose of the Health and Disability Commissioner is to promote and protect the rights of consumersas set out in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights (the Code).
• It is an independent watchdog, providing people using health and disability services with a voice, resolving complaints, and holding providers to account for improving their practices at an individual and system-wide level.
• It is independent of providers, of consumers, and of government policy, allowing it to be an effective watchdog for the promotion and protection of consumers’ rights.
• It is an independent body who investigates complaints about the administrative acts and decisions of central and local government agencies.

The HDC recommends consumers attempt to resolve their complaint directly with the provider in the first instance.

For more information go to Making a complaint — Health & Disability Commissioner